When will Obama say anything?

Via UPI: 

U.S. President Barack Obama, taking an apparently cautious approach, is reported under mounting pressure to act on gay issues, associates and observers say.

There is a flood of gay and lesbian issues facing the president amid what The New York Times calls "a dizzying pace of social, political, legal and legislative change."

The wide range of concerns vary from same-sex marriage to hate crimes to more financing to combat AIDS to a possible gay person for the Supreme Court to succeed the retiring Justice David Souter.

I think we're all kind of asking the same question: will he say anything? Now, to his credit, he has put several LGBT individuals into high-ranking positions within the White House staff, and he did push for the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act...

...but he has been content with pushing DADT back (there has even been a soldier who came out on the Rachel Maddow show to bring national attention to it -- he was later fired from the military) via Robert Gates, has not made comments on any of the marriage issues, and then there was that whole hubbub over his website.

However, given the option between the first hundred days of Clinton's Presidency (which ushered in DADT), Clinton's Presidency (DOMA), or the entire Bush administration (FMA)... I think I'll still stick with Obama.

At least he admits we exist and thinks something should be done... just not sure what yet, apparently.

Do you have a flag?

Thanks to JB for the link here. Out of Neptune, New Jersey, a question arises:

Should the display of flags symbolizing sexual orientation — such as the gay-rights rainbow flag — be allowed in "family neighborhoods"?

That's a question the Township Committee has been asked to tackle at an April 28 public meeting with the Shark River Hills Property Owners' Association.

The question is one of 23 that have been submitted to Mayor Michael Brantley and the committee by members of the association.

"Ref: Display of sexual orientation flags," the question begins. "More and more, we are noticing flags being displayed on (Shark River Hills) properties declaring the occupants' sexual orientation or proclivity — not just the multicolored "gay' striped flags, but also banners indicating fetishes and or other "lifestyle' choices.

"While this type of display may be acceptable in certain gay enclaves, there is simply no justification for it in a family oriented neighborhood like (Shark River Hills.) Your comments?"

Deputy Mayor Mary Beth Jahn said she could answer the question in two words: "First Amendment," she said.

I love that response.

For the record, there are many many many flags associated with the LGBT community, but the article does not specify which one that causes the most disturbance..

...the Rainbow?


...the US LGBT rainbow?


...the bisexual pride flag?


...the trans pride flag?


...the bear pride flag?


...the leather pride flag?


Am I missing any?

We of the queer persuasion love our flags, apparently. You know what that means, right? We are a country!! WHOOHOO!!!

Gay States Are Happy States

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the heads up on this article from Creative Class:



A lot of good data is in the numbers from the original article:

And what about the creative class? Happy states appear to be creative states - at least as measured by the share of people employed in creative class jobs (with a correlation of .48). The correlations are even higher for the the super-creative core and the the overall creativity index (.53).

Makes you wonder: Are creatives more likely to live in happy places or are they more likely to be happy people? Well… psychologists have identified a powerful relationship between creativity and happiness. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi finds that engaging in creative activities like writing, playing music, computer programming, mountain climbing, or chess is a major source of happiness. But in her workplace studies, Teresa Amabile of Harvard Business School says it works the other way around: She finds that it’s happiness - or should I say happy workplaces - that generate creative thinking and workplace innovation as opposed to vice versa. Psychologist Barbara Fredricksons suggests that “positive” people are more open-minded, less racially biased, more likely to see the bigger picture, and ultimately more creative. So maybe this kind of thing scales up from who we are and what we do to where we live.

On that score, yes, happy states are also apparently those greater concentrations bohemians (.43), immigrants (.36 ), and gays (.32), as well as states with higher levels of high-tech industry (.22) or those with more innovative potential.

But, they also bring up that these "happy" people may be drawn to these areas, rather than these people causing the happiness. We're looking at correlative evidence with no definite cause.

But it's still interesting to think about.

GAY STUFF - New Holiday Notice, and the Return of Cody!!!

Hello beautiful people!!!

Well, it's been a damn long time, but I'm back! I know ya'll missed me (yeah right... Mother did at least...)!

So I come bearing some news about a new holiday I've recently heard about. Ya see, there's a girl from Toledo who's a friend of a friend, and this girl came up qith a nifty idea: she's starting a Gay Rights Day at Sylvania Southview High School. Apparently there's nothing quite like this holiday (with it's centralized purpose) anywhere around... So the goal for this things is to get it lots of exposure and maybe take the theme and spread it from Toledo to the rest of the world! That's the plan anyway...
So this is my piece in trying to help out... So get on Facebook and find the event!!! There will be adds for it soon as well.
Need help finding it? Friend me on Facebook and tell me in a message you've come from QueerCincinnati.com!!!

Side note: My video-uploading just does not work well, so I'm gonna be holding off on trying those for a while longer. I'll keep everyone posted on the goings on here at UC though... More to come when I'm permitted to speak...

Farewell lovelies! See you at the clubs!

-Cody Globig

Seriously, mom

Watch it to the end. Seriously.


Got the heads up from APK @ New Stage Collective last night.

I know I gave up the tag, but I'm totally filing this under "gay stuff." HA!

Top 50 Gay Icons of All Time

This is coming from a bizarre source -- stoppingthehate.com -- who, apparently, figured the best way to stop the hate is to encapsulate as many gay stereotypes as possible into a single list. But, I'll let you be the judge:

50. Lucy Lawless
43. Absolutely Fabulous
41. Marlon Brando
39. RuPaul
38. Princess Diana
36. Charlie's Angels
33. Golden Girls
31. Janet Jackson
29. Britney Spears
26. Whitney Houston
24. Eartha Kitt
23. Ellen DeGeneres
19. Wonder Woman
17. ABBA
11. Tina Turner
10. Bette Midler
9. Julie Andrews
8. Liza Minelli
7. Diana Ross
6. Bette Davis
5. Marilyn Monroe
4. Cher
3. Barbara Streisand
2. Judy Garland
1. Madonna

In their defense, this is how they define a "gay icon:"

A Gay Icon is a historical figure, celebrity or public figure who is embraced by many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. They can be either living or deceased.

Please, don't waste my time.

First of all, how are 3/4 of these people relevant anymore? Really? Freakin' Wonder Woman? I know she was quite the symbol for a generation before me, but she has since fallen quite a bit outside of the norm of gay pop culture. If you wanted to remain relevant, I think placing more modern performers, like Rufus Wainwright or Rihanna, would be far more appropriate.

Secondly, why does this list even matter, especially coming from a site that is apparently all about stopping hate? This should be posted on the "teeheegigglesfunhappygaytime.com" (which is totally a domain I'm going to register for future projects). I feel like this is a site that I would have come across when I was 14 and looking for something to connect me to someone; I would have printed it off and stashed it somewhere, only to look back it in a quiet moment later in life. IE: "Oh neat," and then it would have ended up in the bottom of my drawer.

In short: where are the people that matter on this list? (And the one person who does -- Ellen -- who was the first out primetime TV star... well, she's middling on the list.)

Yes, we want marriage; just not us, specifically

Proposition 8, and its legality, is going to the Supreme Court of California. I've not made comment on this for two reasons: 1) I think it will fail, and 2) we should pursue the voters again. Otherwise, we end up with Roe v. Wade all over again -- that is, people bitter that "the will of the people was supplanted by the will of the judiciary." Blah blah balh. And you know that's going to be said.

But it's going to be back in court on March 5th:

The California Supreme Court will hear the legal showdown over gay marriage on March 5, ensuring a decision on the future of same-sex nuptials across the state will arrive before summer.

In a statement released Tuesday, the high court set three hours of arguments for its calendar in San Francisco, setting the stage for the justices to consider a series of legal challenges to voter-approved Proposition 8. Civil rights groups and a number of cities and counties, led by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, sued after the November election, arguing that the ballot initiative is invalid and should be struck down.

In related news...

Julie and Hillary Goodridge (you know, of Massachusetts' Goodridge, et al. v. Department of Public Health) are getting a divorce.

No words.

Ohioan in Rupaul's Drag Races

RuPaul's Drag Races are starting tonight! YEA!!! (Thanks to Joe. My. God. for the video.)

Gay music and video from NewNowNext.com

Well, it seems our local Jessica Dimon didn't get in -- are we really surprised? Meanwhile, we have a Ohioan in the race, so we'll be tracking Cleveland-ite's progress, Akashia.

Here's her bonus video from LOGOOnline:

More Gay & Lesbian Video

Let's watch it, girls, and tell me what you think if you get LOGO.

Speaking of Drag Queens

Let's talk about RuPaul :-). (Thanks to BigLugLand for this one, via Twitter.)

While my positive experience as a gay teenager is not a universal one, by any means, it's one that's becoming more and more common. In the 1970s, the average coming-out age was 21; in 2007, it was closer to 13. Gay teens are coming out earlier to increasingly accepting parents, and the cocoon-to-butterfly narrative that has shaped much of gay culture -- and drag in particular -- is no longer as universal. For many men of my generation, coming out registered on the personal trauma scale somewhere between our first pimple and the pain of our first breakup.

Which is somewhat at odds with the message of the drag queen. A drag queen is sassy, glittery and fabulous -- "a punk rock reaction to our masculine culture," as RuPaul told me, when I spoke to her over the phone. Drag is a way of taking what has often been held against gay men -- our effeminacy, our outspokenness, our passion for ABBA -- and celebrating it with style. Drag queens imitate women like Judy Garland, Dolly Parton and Cher because they overcame insult and hardship on their path to success, and because their narratives mirror the pain that many gay men suffer on their way out of the closet. These women didn't become drag icons because they had a mildly awkward sex talk with their parents.

According to Lady Bunny, the founder of New York's now-defunct Wigstock Festival, drag faded from pop culture at the end of the '90s because "people got used to the idea of the drag queen." Mainstream audiences -- and gay audiences -- simply stopped being shocked by the idea of a man dressed as a woman. "We've had an entire generation grow up seeing drag queens play basketball on daytime talk shows," she says, "and I don't think it's that freeing for gay people anymore."

It also raises a bigger question: Without the trauma of oppression, how will future generations of gay men define themselves? Through promiscuity? Party drugs? A flair for dinner parties? "With more and more teenagers coming out of the closet earlier, and parents being more supportive, the whole dynamic has changed," says Sean Mullens, the director of "Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story." "The explosive party scene doesn't really have a place anymore."

I thought this was an excellent and well written piece on the state of gay culture, especially the role of drag queens within it. It's funny because, when I first started doing drag, I remember an older friend of mine saying, "I just don't like it, but I'm from an age where you shouldn't do anything so openly gay." And then, of couse, there's the endless stigma of men my age who won't sleep with a drag queen because now we're obsessed with straight men.

And so it goes, all this gender stuff.

Regardless, I went to a drag show (by myself) last night. After all these years, I posited drunkenly on Twitter, I will say this: a drag show still makes me smile.

So theorize it all you want, I still fucking love them.

Oh, and an interesting little bit praising drag queens when I did a google search, "researching the topic," for "drag and gay culture.

When Drag Queens Attack -- a response

I got an interesting response to this post, and so I'll repost the comment in toto and then attempt to respond as best I know how:

Who these people truly were or why they were so mad is a based on 1/2 of the participants of the fight.

Isn't it possible that the crew of the McDonald's who hurled hateful epaulets at transgender woman?

That wouldn't be a show for you to laugh at would it? unbelievable. Yeas it is slanderous and highly inconsiderate of the "allied" community to laugh at us and hate us. WHO ARE YOU AND DO YOU CARE ABOUT US or are we just a token for you to get readers?

I would feel better if planetransgender's post's did not appear on this blog.You can acomidate that request by removing planetransgender from your blog list.

At their request, I have not linked the blog. But you can back read and figure it out.

I have written and rewritten this post, each time trying to take on a different attitude towards their response. I've written the shocked post, I've written the apologetic post, the angry post, the blah blah blah. Each one was longer and more boring than the one before. Let me, instead, try to condense and go over why I feel each bit:

First, anger (at them): It is absurd and a failing on your part to attack me on my gender street cred. The writer of the above comment states to have read my blog for a while, and to know me somewhat. Honestly, if you do not know my utter support, love, adoration, and respect for trans-identified persons, then you clearly haven't been paying attention. And do not assume that because I do not identify as trans myself does not mean that I have not been the subject of stereotyping, stigma, and discrimination based on my gender expression.

Second, anger (at myself): I was an idiot not to better preface that post. I assumed that people would, naturally, pick up on that the like provocation for the fight was transphobic slurs and nastiness on the part of (clearly) idiotic McDonald's employees. I should have written more and assumed less... for someone as loquacious as I can be, I certainly kept my mouth shut. And I am one for making sure your opinion is known and heard.

Third, apologetic: I'm sorry it was offensive, and perhaps it was not the best of posts in the world. I'm sorry it offended, and I'm sorry I did not do more in terms of deconstructing the news reports. Instead, I just threw it up there without concern for how people would feel about it. And for that, I am deeply sorry.

Fourth, apologetic (addendum): Please note that I am not sorry for posting it.

Fifth, shock: I am amazed that, after everything this community has been through for the last year, and after my giant turnaround on ENDA (from supporting a trans-noninclusive bill to lambasting the HRC for their support of it), that we are still fighting silly fights over non-issues (Rick Warren anyone?). More importantly, that anyone would turn on an ally -- and someone who is, truly, an ally -- for a sheer minor affront. Additionally, that the writer of the comments missed the implication of my words: that I was actually praising these women. Do it, girls, fight back. Don't let homophobic and transphobic assholes get away with it. Now, maybe violence was not the best answer, but they did something. And, for that, they should be applauded.

Sixth, disappointment: Despite the ongoing debate over the word "tranny," I'm disappointed that trans-identified persons have not made the attempt to reclaim the word, much like I have taken on the moniker of "queer," or the black community has for the term "nigger." The author of the blog is a smart person... I would think that this would be a priority. Take the power away from hate. Also, for all the things in the world to get angry over, a bit of humor -- and you have to admit that it was funny for a lot of reasons, whether the "haha, silly trannies" or "haha, terrible news reporting" or "haha, get it girls!" funny -- should not be one of them. Don't come after me, your supporter and your ally. Go throw malatov cocktails into the halls of injustice. Go sledge hammer the walls of division and difference. Go run a truck through the windows of... yadda yadda yadda. (This blog does not support violence in any form. And, if it did, it would come with a blueprint for action, not just vague suggestions.) UPDATE: Also disappointed that an activist would not take the opportunity to educate rather than fight. Rather than think, "this guy is ideologically on my side, he's just a little off on his message, maybe I should help him understand." Rather, I get yelled at. That's disappointing.

Seventh, confused: Of all the things that someone would take offense to on my blog ... this is what you choose? Please. My prolific use of the work "fuck" is more anger-worthy. Fuck.

Finally, proud: Thank you for saying your piece. Thank you for speaking out and calling me out. Thank you for keeping me in check. I owe you all the respect in the world for that. Not enough people do that.

Anyways, that's all. I hope that better clarifies my position.

Update: My response in the comments has been deleted.

Do Ex-Gays have sex?

Thanks to the Box Turtle Bulletin for this one.

I have to say, I often wondered about ex-gay residential programs. It always seemed like sticking a whole bunch of alcoholics in a meeting in a bar.

Meh.

On the flip side, there's a lot of stuff developing on the interweb by ex-gay survivors (or ex-ex-gays). I think it's a beautiful thing. Thanks, gays. We need to hear your stories, too.

TwitPics from Today's Rally

We hooked the rally organizers up to this blog's Twitter account. They posted pictures of the event as it went on, and these are what came through. It looks like they had a great turnout!

I will ask Cameron to write up the event so we know how fabulously it went, which I'm sure it did. :-)

Gay Penguins Married in China

Seriously? From the Sun:

A PAIR of GAY penguins are so loved-up they have been given a WEDDING service.

The besotted male birds turned out to be such a great parenting pair their keepers thought they deserved a reward and let them marry.

They were once given the cold shoulder at the wildlife park in China for stealing heterosexual couples' eggs to nest as their own.

But after being allowed to try out with eggs rejected by their mothers the couple have become the zoo's best penguin parents.

Now keepers at Polarland Zoo in Harbin, north east China, have rewarded their devotion with a wedding day.

One wore a tie and the other was dressed in a red blouse – a traditional Chinese bridal colour – as they stepped into their icy wedding room to the music of the Wedding March.

Keepers then served them their favourite dish for the occasion – spring fish.

"They have been a good couple and deserved their reward," said one keeper.

The lesson here: the better couples we are, as gay people, the more likely we are to get our "reward" -- i.e., marriage.

It sounds a lot like how black athletes/soldiers felt -- that they had to be better than everyone else several times over just to get the same recognition that "normal" people did. On the one hand, this story is cute and adorable. On the other hand, it makes me sick.

I really don't think China will be acknowledging gay marriage for, you know, humans anytime soon.

When Drag Queens Attack

UPDATE, 2/1/09: AHHH!!! I AM TRYING TO PULL THIS OFF THE FRONT PAGE -- I know, I hate auto-loading video too!!! SORRY!!!!

UPDATE 2/2/09: THANK YOU JERE! You taught me how to turn off the autostart feature -- I really really appreciate it!!!

On the back of the tranny controversy...

When Trannies Attack!

See more like this on kontraband.com

I thought this was appropriate. Is it wrong for me to think, damn those girls are FIERCE? Took off their hoop earrings and their stilettos and all.

But seriously, don't piss off a drag queen. For your own safety. Bitches wanted their chicken nuggests and fries!

That seems to be the lesson here. Good for the White Castle employees in Northside to hear.

Just kidding. I repeat: that was not a threat.


Just saying. They're slow. And rude.


...and I want my mozzerella cheese sticks.



I would have like to have seen the discussion in the news room. "So, what do we call them?" It's funny they settled on transvestite.


(Thanks to DumbWhore, my new friend on Twitter, but NSFW.)

Saddlebacking -- DEFINED!!!

IMG thanks to Towleroad
For the whole story, visit Dan Savage's column.

First Openly LGBT Head of Government

Johanna Siguroardottir, former Minister of Social Policy, has been tapped to get the job of Prime Minister of Iceland, taking over a bankrupt and quickly falling apart government. Reports are that she was the most popular minister left in the government, making her the most obvious replacement for the outgoing PM.

Johanna Siguroardottir, 66, a member of the Icelandic Parliament since 1978, was designated Tuesday by leaders of Iceland’s Social Democratic Alliance Party as the party’s choice for prime minister following the collapse of the country’s governing coalition Monday.

Siguroardottir, if ratified to become prime minister as expected by an interim coalition formed by the Social Democratic Alliance and other political parties, must grapple with rising unemployment and near chaos in the country’s banking system brought about by the worldwide financial crisis.

“If she is gay, that is not an issue at all,” said Olafur Sigurdsson, deputy chief of mission at the Icelandic Embassy in Washington.

“We are very liberal in that sense,” he said. “It has never been an issue for her as a politician.”

This will her make the highest ranking openly LGBT person ever (in terms of "hard power" -i I'm sure there have been a lot of LGBT of people who have some level of political power outside of their official titles, but she will be the firs one with "ran a country" behind her name... unless you count Margaret Thatcher).

And so the gay rights movement gains steam... every where else but here.

And so we are engaged on DOMA...

Oh, Christ, indeed. 

From SFist:

Oh, Christ. While gay activists were busy angrily masturbating at each other, the people on the other side were busy accomplishing things. They're anticipating that Obama will overturn DOMA (which is like the national version of Prop 8), and they've already taken steps to stop him.

Check out domadefensefund.com -- we won't contribute to their pagerank by linking to it, but we all need to see what they're doing so that we can one-up them, and do it YESTERDAY. Look at how slick they are: it actually looks like they're presenting an urgent, reasonable case. Never mind that their claims are as silly and made-up as "Prop 8 will protect children" -- it doesn't matter whether they're telling the truth. All that matters is that people will believe them.

Hello? Is anyone out there listening??? HRC? Equality Ohio? NGLTF? (Should I include JoinTheImpact on this list now... although they actually have stuff planned, which is miles above and beyond any of the other organizations... stuff that you can actually do to help. I'd say that's a start.)

Where is everyone? Why the FUCK did we waste time fight Rick Warren? And, really, to all you bloggers and leaders out there at the Equality Summit... what are you accomplishing? 

Oh, sorry, was that mean? I'm sorry, but I just hope to God y'all come back with something concrete (and apparently it won't have anything to do with the transgender community). I know, for me, conferences are little more excuse than to learn (as the tertiary reason), to get laid (as the secondary reason), to party/visit a new city (as the primary reason). 

I really hope all the gay men in this country really aren't like me.

Oh, God, we're all doomed. 

Meanwhile, Equality Cincinnati is saying that even a DP registry is "too much" in Cincinnati, and Equality Ohio is saying that it's not a priority for them right now. Uh-huh. 

I think Cincinnati is more than we think it is. I think it's more ready than you think, kids. I think this country is more ready than you think.

Is there such a thing as a gay non-sex scandal?

Jesus. Two big bits of news out of the world:

1) Sam Adams, whose gay sex scandal is amusing to me if only for the attractiveness of his paramour (Beau Breedlove), is staying in office in Portland. Lovely. Well, wait. That is, until he may still get tried as a sexual assailant after Mr. Breedlove decided to talk to the press and explain semi-sexual advances before his 18th birthday. This is rather juicy and fun to watch, as Beau has named his dog... get this... Lolita. I wish I were in Portland right now to watch it all happen. More importantly, don't the names in this whole case just make you giggle with anticipation? Beau Breedlove and Sam Adams, and their lawyers Dick Trickle and Coors Light (and Sam's dog, Hef). Teehee. I'm so clever.

2) Ted Haggard is a publicity whore. Can we just say that now? Of course his former
boyfriend from his church talks now... just as the music is starting to build for Haggard's movie. Coincidence? Doubtful. Oh how the mighty have fallen, and scratched and clawed to get back up. (Is it also funny that Haggard is now a door to door insurance salesman? Always selling something people don't need, eh, Teddy?)

I want a scandal that comes out about someone being gay that doesn't involve sex. I don't know, like "Anderson Cooper comes out after admitting to only buying Prada and being heard squealing 'Dolce and Gabbana are equitable to God!'" No? Not exciting enough for you?

1967 Murder Case

A death bed confessional is generally considered acceptable as truth because there's nothing left to lose.

Sucks to be 70 something and arrested for murder:

Two months before dying, a Virginia woman confessed to killing two women nearly 42 years ago, authorities said Friday, telling police she shot the women because they had taunted her for being a lesbian.

Sharron Diane Crawford Smith, 60, confessed in a November 28 interview to shooting the women at a Staunton ice cream store in 1967, authorities said.

"I was just pushed so far," Smith said, according to a transcript of a police interview.

Smith was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Constance Smootz Hevener, 19, and Hevener's 20-year-old sister-in-law, Carolyn Hevener Perry, according to CNN affiliate WVIR.

But health problems forced a postponement of a December court date, WVIR said, and Smith, who had heart and kidney problems, died January 19.

Authorities on Friday said they consider Smith the guilty party and are working toward closing the case.

In a transcript of the police interview, Smith told police she and the women worked at High's Ice Cream. The night of the shooting, she went to the store to tell the women she could not work the next day and took her .25-caliber pistol with her.

"I was just going to tell them that I couldn't work and one thing led to another."

She acknowledged that teasing "about my lifestyle" had gone on for a while.

Asked how the victims knew about it, she said, "How do kids find out about anything? I mean, it was really unusual back then."

Um. Don't make fun of lesbians is the lesson here, I think.

Gay marriages cause straights to fight against divorce!!!!

No, really. Apparently the gay marriage debate has finally got straight, right wing Americans to fight against divorce... well, if those divorces are between gay people.

Via PinkNews:

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said:

"In the State of Texas, marriage is – and has always been – a union between one man and one woman.

"To prevent other states from imposing their values on this state, Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a Constitutional amendment specifically defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman.

"Because the parties' Massachusetts-issued arrangement is not a marriage under Texas law, they are asking a Texas court to recognise – and dissolve – something that does not legally exist."

So this is my impression of Republicans: "Gay marriage is bad! If you get one, you must stay in it! But I can divorce my fourth wife! HA! Got ya now!"

And scene.